The customer who take off a mask

Sometimes, the word “A customer is a king” is colorless in our shop, and the owner of the shop is sometimes the king. Some customers ask how the owner feels like when they enter the shop. However, the customer in this story is a bit strong.

I am the owner of the shop. One day, a week ago, when I was in a state of lack of sleep, an old woman parked her BMW and came in with a cushion wearing a mask. I and my mother also were wearing masks.

The customer gave an order something odd that cut the cushion in half. Then the cotton inside of it must be cut in half.

It wasn't such a good thing to work with and I wasn't able to sleep last night, so I wasn't so polite. She emphasized the half size to be done without mentioning the remaining fabric and cotton. So we didn't care about the remaining piece of fabric and cotton.

A few days later the customer came to pick it up. She looked at the cushion that was properly sized and was satisfied with it. But suddenly, she asked for the remaining fabric and cotton. I cleaned it yesterday, put it in the trash can, and it was full and brought it home. However, the remaining was taken by a garbage truck that day.

Anyway I had to get paid first, so I said I'd go home and find it later. Then, unlike before, she paid in full without cutting the price. In the meantime, she opened her eyes big and said the remaining fabric and cotton must be back to her. If she would not get them back, something bad would be happened. I thought my blunt tone of speech made her pick holes.

My blunt tone of speech wasn’t still changed to be smooth because of the inertia in my speech. So when I said with a fever that it was difficult and hard for me to do the cushion work, suddenly she took off the mask and asked me what else was another complaint. Our shop has made a rule that customers can come in only when wearing a mask, and she was trying to make me upset.

Eventually, she left with the big eyes as if to keep in mind that she will come back this Friday to pick up the remaining fabric and cotton. Apparently, the customer was angry at my unkind attitude, and must have caught the spit with a piece of cloth and cotton that she doesn’t need.

After that, during a few days, I had thought over with a piece of cloth and cotton that I didn't even have, and then I had a mind at night before the day the customer decided to come. I first realized that I was wrong because I was not able to treat the customer politely as a shop owner.

Today, Friday morning, tomorrow is Saturday that also is Independence Day, so today is a holiday, but the customer is supposed to come, so I went to the store alone. As soon as I arrive at the store, the customer immediately follows. I smiled and said, "Good morning!" The customer smiles slightly and says, "Good morning!" With that greeting “good morning”, I could fill water a half in the glass of solving the problem.

And I apologized for not being able to speak politely the other day. Then she said thank you for apologizing with a big smile. I said that I was looking for the pieces of fabric and cotton at home and told her frankly that the garbage truck had already taken. Then I noticed a little disappointment in her face. She looked like really needed that things looked useless.

Then, asking for another one, she went into the car and came in with a similar cushion. This time, I promised to return the remaining fabric and cotton. The owner of the store often lacks sleep and cannot speak friendly words when they are not in good condition. In our shop, the owner and the customer unravel each other in a human-to-human relationship, not in relation of major and minor.

Anyway, it's a good thing that the problem was solved with a smile. The customer wasn’t that bad. My unkindness made her being bad. There is a Korean proverb. “If my words to go out is good, your words to come into my ears is also good.”

July 3, 2020